Method for producing sanitary articles wearable as pants provided with side panels

Abstract

A method for producing sanitary articles wearable in the manner of pants, provided with at least one pair of side panels suitable for connecting the end parts of the article around the user's waist, and with a topsheet produced by assembling together a central web, permeable to body fluids and a first and a second side material. The production method comprises the steps of partially overlapping the first end regions of the side panels, leaving the second end regions uncovered, and then joining in a provisional manner, the parts of the overlapping side panels in order to produce a temporary laminate on which it is possible to identify a first surface and a second surface.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for producing a sanitary article wearable in the manner of pants, comprising:
 a first side panel and a second side panel, each side panel having a first end region and a second end region; 
 a first and a second side material intended to be fixed respectively to said first and second side panel, said first and second side material having respectively a first end edge and a first end region adjacent thereto, a second end region, an intermediate region between said first and second end region, a first surface and a second surface; and 
 a central web intended to be fixed to said first and second side material, the method comprising the steps of:
 positioning said first side panel and said second side panel in a configuration of partial overlap, so that said first end region of said first side panel and said first end region of said second side panel are in contact with each other in an overlapping region, while said second end regions of said first and second side panel remain uncovered; 
 provisionally joining said first end regions of said first and second side panel, so as to form a temporary laminate having a first surface and a second surface; 
 joining said second end regions of the respective first and second side panel of said temporary laminate respectively to said first end regions of each side material; 
 bringing into contact at least one portion of said second surface of each side material with said second surface of said temporary laminate; and 
 
 joining said central web to said first and second side material. 
 
     
     
       2. A method according to  claim 1 , further comprising joining said second end regions of the respective first and second side panel of said temporary laminate to said first end regions of each side material by bringing into contact said second surface of said temporary laminate with said first surfaces of each side material. 
     
     
       3. A method according to  claim 1 , further comprising bringing into contact at least one portion of said second surface of each side material with said second surface of said temporary laminate by rotating each of said side materials about said respective first end edge. 
     
     
       4. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said first end regions of said first and second side panel are joined together by provisional thermo-mechanical welding points. 
     
     
       5. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said side panels are provided with coupling systems. 
     
     
       6. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said second end regions of the respective first and second side panel of said temporary laminate are joined respectively to said first end regions of each side material by means of thermo-mechanical welding. 
     
     
       7. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said second end regions of said side materials are provided with elastic elements. 
     
     
       8. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said central web is joined to said intermediate regions of said first and second side material. 
     
     
       9. A method according to  claim 1 , comprising provisionally joining said temporary laminate with at least one of said central web and said side materials.